Pioneer Women: Voices from the Kansas Frontier

by Joanna L. Stratton, Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. (Introduction)

From a rediscovered collection of autobiographical accounts written by hundreds of Kansas pioneer women in the early twentieth century, Joanna Stratton has created a collection hailed by Newsweek as “uncommonly interesting” and “a remarkable distillation of primary sources.”

Never before has there been such a detailed record of women’s courage, such a living portrait of the women who civilized the American frontier. Here are their stories: wilderness mothers, schoolmarms, Indian squaws, immigrants, homesteaders, and circuit riders. Their personal recollections of prairie fires, locust plagues, cowboy shootouts, Indian raids, and blizzards on the plains vividly reveal the drama, danger and excitement of the pioneer experience.

These were women of relentless determination, whose tenacity helped them to conquer loneliness and privation. Their work was the work of survival, it demanded as much from them as from their men—and at last that partnership has been recognized.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, Womens, Historical, Memoir, American History

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

Born in 1954. Graduated from Harvard University, completed graduate school at Stanford University.

Reviews

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would give this a 3.5. This is a pretty interesting read. this is about mostly women who emigrated to Kansas from about 1840s 1880s. it was rough land then. At that time the Indians already lived there but not "white people". Joanna Stratton found a ton of interviews her great-grandmother did during this time period. this book is from 1981.Joanna put this book together from the interviews her great grandmother did all those years ago. I was a bit disappointed that all the interviews are white women, so we have no views from the Indians that already lived there and the black people who ended up there as well.{some during the slavery years} would have been of interest. Still this is an interesting read. We read about the hardships starting up homes on barren land. finding food.one chapter writes about the Indians who already lived there some friendly some not.{sad thing is we only read of the white person's point of view}
Other chapters deal with going to church, kids going to school{such as they were}starting up towns, the moving of cattle from one place to another{ a huge undertaking for cattle drives} toward the end of the book i found it of interest that women were trying to fight for rights to vote and prohibition as early as the 1860s. there are many other chapters writing of what life was life during this time period. I learned that neat facts, and found myself saying "so glad I live in the era of modern conveniences.

[Shawn Thrasher · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are my people, and I like reading about them. Lovers of Willa Cather or Laura Ingalls Wilder should run out right now and find this book. For those who romanticize the good old days, or who have a Little House on the Prairie fetish, this will definitely open your eyes as to how utterly difficult those days actually were. Every single thing our prairie ancestors had to do was done by hand, from the land - and Nature was always waiting, waiting to take it back, and maybe take their lives along with it. Nothing was easy - but Stratton also details, cites and excerpts many, many examples of how wonderfully fun and invigorating that time was as well. Pioneer women did not know what the future held; they did not know how damaging their impact would be on the environment; their world views did not take into account the people who lived on the land when they came. If some of the things the pioneer women did were offensive to modern sensibilities, much of what they did was heroic. They left everything they knew to build a new land, in a country that was lonely, desolate, and far from hospitable. It's interesting and sad to think that ultimately though that they failed; the populations of those prairie states continues to decline, and the great homesteading experiment all came to naught. That does not discount their heroism either. If anything, we should all strive to find the pioneer woman (or man) inside of us today.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pioneer Women is the result of an impressive, multi-generational work. One woman wrote and received thousands of letters, gathering stories from around eight hundred Kansas women. Her daughter typed and indexed them. Her great-granddaughter shaped those stories into this book.

I've read the Little House books several times, so the sod houses, blizzards, schoolhouses, prairie fires, and grasshoppers were familiar. Stratton mostly lets the sources speak for themselves. The results are not all romanticized, but eye-opening and invigorating. A must-read for anyone at all interested in the subject.

[Charlene Hisayasu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading the nitty gritty accounts of the lives of these real women who moved west to Kansas in the mid-1800's. The details and first-hand accounts bring great clarity to this portion of American history. Incredible physical hardships and emotional isolation take their toll on this female population. But out of the incoming wave of these courageous pioneers arises the progress of schools, churches, cities, and political movements in the maturing nation. A great read for those who enjoy learning about the lives of our early settlers.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid 4 star read. I have been slowly reading through this book and I finally finished it. History, especially sociological history is fascinating to me. The courage and tenacity of these women was astounding.

[Gloria Zachgo · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a Kansas native, I was not aware of some of the history I gleaned from Pioneer Women.

Because I'm writing a sequel to my own book, I found this book very helpful as a timeline into events that may concern my own characters. My book will be fiction -- a continuing story of the two families I wrote about in Never Waste Tears.

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[Kelsie Svara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book (while on my trip to Alaska w/ Matt) in Eureka, Montana in a little free library at a campsite. It took me so long to finish because I honestly forgot about it when I got home.

I really enjoyed this one. The first-hand accounts of the pioneer women during the mid-19th century are captivating. I had little knowledge of how life was back then other than the larger history points (westward expansion, Native American dilutes, etc.). It was so much fun learning about how they started with nothing, and built up towns and cities in a barren land. The women created schools, helped build churches, and fought for abolition of slavery and for women’s suffrage.

It was something totally different than the other books I have read and I’m glad I got to learn something new :)

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This wonderfully written history tells of life in Kansas in its pioneer days in the 19th century. In the 1920s the author's great grandmother collected stories from hundreds of women and these form the primary material for this book. The women were purposefully reflecting on and retelling important stories from their past which I think led to two things:

1) The stories are amazingly exciting and coherent - a historian's dream

2) Since the women were telling the stories well after the fact, nostalgia probably kicked in so the content is primarily positive and upbeat

The book covers a vast array of topics - the trip to the West, building houses, childhood, education, interactions with Native Americans, cattle drives, religion, prohibition, the fight for suffrage, "bleeding Kansas", working on the farm, social lives, holidays, etc.

It was a very enjoyable literary journey that gave me a new perspective and respect for Kansas and the pioneers who settled there.

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this stuff. I'm not sure if everyone else would feel the same, but I think it's fascinating to hear what these women's day-to-day lives were like. Holy moly!!!!!

Ok, now that I'm done, I downgraded this to a 4. It's really good for what it is, but after a while you really pick up on the fact that these women were writing for a magazine audience and that really impacted what they said. Also, it's only a really specific segment of the women that wrote - namely educated white women, so whereas what they have to say is still fascinating, it's clearly not the whole story. But what history book is, right? I really liked that it focused in one state. I felt like that made the whole thing more intimate and manageable. Overall, I would recommend it.

[Sharyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author’s great-grandmother was the first female lawyer in Kansas and pleaded cases before the Kansas Supreme Court.

While playing in her great-grandmother’s attic, Ms Stratton came across a file cabinet filled with stories written by 800 pioneer women of Kansas. These women responded to the request to relate their experiences settling the Kansas frontier (1854 to 1890).

This history is limited in scope and in depth by the fact the 800 women were all white (and literate) homesteaders. The voices of the marginal women – the indigent and the native Americans - were not included. Also, the private and uncomfortable facets of the women’s everyday lives were not discussed.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading about the history of my home state. Obviously some of this was taught in the schools when I was growing up but there were some nuggets of interesting stories and facts. This was published in 1981 by Joanna Stratton. Her great-grandmother had gathered recollections from 800 pioneer women but never compiled a book. Joanna does this using those stories.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

All in all, a history worth reading. Like most tales written many years after individuals experienced the events, some were romanticized. Many aspects of real life were omitted by women of past generations as “ private” or “ unspeakable”, so we will never know. What is here, the small stories that you don’t learn in seventh grade American history class, are remarkable.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating read about the settling of Kansas. Such strong brave women’s stories I throughly enjoyed the writing and the education.

[Sherri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stratton has a nice way of being anecdotal and combining memoir quotes. Each chapter summarized a different part of their world in the era i.e. weather/crops, politics, women's rights, outlaws, family, etc.

Her introduction and forward she states in a real reminder of the stoicism and respect that generation had in documenting 800 plus memoirs of these pioneer women. No dirty laundry was shared to sully their family or the way of the times. But a reminder there were just as many good times and moments as there were extremely hard times and losses they dealt with in every day life.

While this book would seem daunting to pick up and read, the way Stratton has it broken down makes it readable by chapter. I wouldn't recommend picking up and putting down the book in mid-chapter and paragraphs. I think you could lose the context of the storytelling and quotes.

It is a nice compilation of the female pioneer spirit and fortitude that helped define our country.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having discovered a collection of autobiographical accounts written by pioneer Kansas women,the author lets us read how these women survived prairie fires, locust plagues, blizzards, lonliness, the day to day hard work both in the home and fields. When reading these wonderful narratives, the reader has to keep in mind that they were written long after the actual events so the accounts are not as depressing as one would expect - more like time makes the events less harrowing to the writer but definitely a source of pride in accomplishment.It makes one wonder what the writer would have written had they the time to journal as the events happened but considering their work day and primitive housing, we can understand why the chronicalling had to wait till years later.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting information, but not always well presented. Quite often I'd find myself reading two "introducing the topic" sorts of sentences in the same paragraph - that was needless and made the reading murkier.

Since the book is already on a rather obscure topic (and isn't presented like an easy-to-read popular history) I would have liked it better if the sources were clearer. Certain sentences stated like fact would have been more believable if supported by a name, a supporting example -- something.

Not bad overall though~! Worth a look for the feminine perspective, perhaps. The stories included were the best part - the rest of the information is rather common knowledge if you've ever studied the American West.

[Leanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book provides a picture of how hard life on the prairie was for these pioneer women. I thought the voices from the Kansas frontier were so interesting and captured the daily life of the prairie. I especially liked the chapters on schools and the interaction with Indians. The crazy part of reading this book for me is that I went looking for a digital version and I found Pioneer Woman, so I checked it out of the library and read it in between reading this factual account of Kansas pioneer women. What a contrast. Weigh the hardships of Kansas women in the early 1900's against Ree Drummond's life in the late 1900's. That was good for my brain.

[Jan C · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have noticed that when people come to my house and are looking for something to read, this is the book they pick up. It's not like it is the only book on the shelf. But everyone I have ever noticed picking up a book picked this one.

[Angela Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was afraid I would lose interest in this book, but instead I looked forward to reading it nightly. Great read!

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been curious about the lives of women on the frontier versus their depiction in Western-themed movies. This book was insightful and interesting with first hand accounts and recollections.

[Edmund Roughpuppy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Only filtered voices
I was excited to read this book. I expected to absorb real-time impressions from women who settled the stark western plains; letters or journal entries. Something like, “I just arrived at my new home, this dugout near Fort Hays, and I wonder if I’ll ever be comfortable again before I die.” Instead I read memories of the 19th century, often written long after the events. These memoirs were valuable, but they lacked the fresh immediacy I longed for.

What did the women think, when the generally grim conditions of pioneer life locked them in a permanent embrace? Did they regret leaving their home country or a civilized city on the East Coast? What comfort or beauty sustained them? Joanna Stratton uncovered little in answer to these questions.

When the witnesses speak, Joanna Stratton cuts them off repeatedly. They rarely complete a paragraph on their own before she breaks in to explain the circumstances. Her constant commentary quickly wore me out; I wanted Stratton to sit down and shut up. If explanation was necessary, I could welcome a short introduction at the beginning of each chapter, after which the 19th century women could speak unrestricted.

A few passages broke through Stratton’s filter, to shine on their own:

“At one point we had forded a stream with a border of brush, and rounding a hill across the ford he [the driver] pointed to a small new grave. Such a sadness possessed me, as I pictured to myself the delay in camp, the suffering of the little one, the absence of medical skill, the death, the burial, and the grief of leaving that freshly heaped mound. But hundreds of such mounds have marked the advance of pioneers. And what stories of grief do they suggest to those travelers who have passed that way.”

Strangely modern politics
Near the end of the book, we read about the political life of the new state, women’s campaigns to ban alcoholic drink and give themselves the right to vote. No shrinking violets, these pioneer women. They got out and made their voices heard. They also fell victim to the same mental distortion which plagues our political life in the 21st century:

“Lucy Stone said the measure [giving women in Kansas the right to vote] was almost sure to pass, it was only necessary to keep it before the people through the summer.
Well the end came and the votes were counted, and Women’s Suffrage got only a little over one-third of all.”

Even in the 19th Century, people lived in political echo chambers, associating mainly with others who agreed with them. Thus they reckoned support for their causes in the general electorate much greater than it actually was. How many of us were astonished at the victory of Donald Trump, simply because no one we knew voted for him? One lesson of history: human nature tends to produce similar results in all eras. "The United States is more divided now than ever before!" I've heard or read this Jeremiad a hundred times in recent years, and it's clearly false, evidence this book. We are fascinated with our own time, we believe we are unique. History helps us understand current events as part of a long pattern of human behavior, instead of a shocking, "unprecedented" blow to the old order.

While this book was a disappointment, I’m still interested in first-person history. If anyone enjoyed another book on this time and place, please tell me in the comments.

[Amy Winsand · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful collection of beautifully written memoirs of women who willingly, and some not so willingly, pioneered the Kansas frontier. Many joined their husbands wholeheartedly in creating a homestead on free acreage where there was only flat land and endless prairie, living in a house dug into the dirt (a dugout) or a sod home (a soddie) which was barely an improvement. Others left comfortable homes to join their husbands who had traveled ahead and broke down in sobs when they first laid eyes on their "new" home.

To say it was a rough life is an understatement. They battled drought, grasshoppers, fires, fierce winds, blizzards, runaway longhorns, Indians, Civil War violence, illness with no doctors, and maybe worst of all, extreme loneliness. I wouldn't have lasted a minute. It's pretty amazing any of them lasted as long as they did. They cherished the few neighbors they had, the church services whenever and wherever they were held, the occasional dance in town, and Sunday picnics, whatever would bring them into contact with other women.

Again, this is an incredible historical read which makes one appreciate the easy life of today. I'm glad the author compiled these stories so their voices weren't lost and unheard.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

In 1975 while visiting her grandmother in Kansas and exploring her attic, Joanne Stratton found files that her great-grandmother, Lilla Day Monroe, had collected which were reminiscences of pioneer women in Kansas. Lilla went to Kansas from Indiana in 1864 where she married a young lawyer and clerked in his office while raising four children. She passed the bar exam and in 1895 was the first woman ever admitted to practice before the Kansas Supreme Court. In her efforts for women's suffrage and to inform women on governmental issues, she started the Good Government Club and edited a magazine, "The Club Member." Later she began a newspaper called "The Kansas Women's Journal" and it was through this paper that she began to solicit letters from women who had lived in Kansas during the Frontier period, planning to edit an anthology of their memoirs. When poor health interfered with these plans her daughter, Lenore Moor Stratton, worked on the project but eventually the papers found their way to the attic, where Joanna discovered them.
Chapters are organized by subject such as school, church traveling to Kansas, etc. so many person's accounts make up each chapter.

[Roxie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A terrific collection of memoirs by early-day settlers of the prairie, the story of this book is as good as the book. In 1895, Lilla Day Monroe graduated from law school and was admitted to the Kansas Bar. But this book isn't about her. It's about the compilation of the 800--that is EIGHT HUNDRED--first-hand, personal accounts of Kansas pioneer women that Day collected over her lifetime. The accounts were catalogued and preserved by her daughter and granddaughter, then finally presented here by her great-granddaughter, Joanna Stratton. Told in their own words--and with their less-than modern sensibilities, especially regarding references to Native Americans--these stories remind us of the very real women who came before. This might be hard to get a hold of--I found it in my library's discards--but an excellent historical read, if you get the chance. The complete papers are now maintained by the Kansas Historical Society.

[Cassie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's amazing a book like this exists at all! I loved getting the perspective of women pioneers in Kansas, and that generations of women workes to bring things viewpoints forward. Firsthand accounts really made the life of that time feel real, and human, not a nostalgized or generalized past. However, as another reviewer mentioned, there are no accounts from native women or black women or anyone who wasn't a white "pioneer". The author does not try very hard to add those viewpoints in either, even if by commenting on the women's written accounts; really this book does not question anything, merely describes the experiences and views of white pioneers at the time. This leaves out any notion that the prairie maybe shouldn't've been farmed, that wild prairie isn't "barren", or "virgin" land, as Stratton calls it (untouched, unmarred, ready to be ... "taken" by white people, "made productive" according to white agricultural values...). A fascinating but undiverse account.

[Monte Lamb · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating book. In the 1920's a lady in Kansas collected about 800 stories written by women who had been pioneers in that state during the last half of the 19th century. She died before she could finish sorting them into a story of how the settlers lived their lives during this time. The files set in a filing cabinet until her granddaughter discovered them almost 100 years later. She happened to be history graduate student at Harvard who realized what a fantastic collection this was. She wrote a book based upon the stories and it gives an excellent picture of life on the prairie during these years. I particularly liked how the book was divided into thematic sections rather than chronological order. Religion, education, town life, homes, and many other topics were covered. If you want a good idea of what life was like on the prairie and the hardships faced by these pioneers, this is an excellent book. I really found it fascinating.

[R.E. E. Derouin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pioneer Women by Joanna L. Stratton 4/8/2024 Paper

I picked up this older book at our library book sale. I thought I’d skim it, reading only parts of particular interest to me. I quickly found I was fascinated by the brave women’s accounts and read the book in its entirety.

While there was some repetition, the author moved the personal recollections forward in an orderly and easily readable manner. What might have seemed boring to some provided marvelous details of the trials and tribulations faced in so brave a journey. The positive attitudes of most was both surprising and uplifting.

I wish we’d learned more of those peoples who were displaced but little was mentioned.

This book isn’t suspenseful or particularly exciting, but presents an honest sounding account of an important part of our history. I highly recommend it to anyone with a true and detailed interest in our country’s past.

[Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joanna L. Stratton has taken first-hand accounts of the experiences of hundreds of women of courage making their way to and living in rough territory. The lives of these women were dangerous and exciting. One never knew what would happen.

This book is filled with adventure and unknowns. The people these women encounter were sometimes friendly and sometimes wild and meaning to do harm. Younger and older women lent their voices here.

How could one survive in such risky circumstances? This book brings to life a time when women lacked all modern conveniences. Becoming complacent wasn’t an option.

Reading from the point-of-view of those who were in Kansas at such a wild time is enlightening. This book is worth a look at for those who are interested in Western history or women’s history—an interesting inside view.

[Lynnette Goebel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book mostly because it gave the stories from people who experienced them. History is much more interesting when told from first hand experience, with emotions included. It is so easy these days to rewrite history, thinking we would do things better. But that's not true. How would any of us handling a Native American walking into our home, examining everything (including our children), and then taking what they want. Exactly how calm would we be?

Each chapter describes a different facet of prairie life from church to education to prairie fires to neighbors. Each chapter delivers insight into the life of the brave men and women upon whom our country is built. I learned quite a bit of knowledge from the book.

[Kayrene · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great compilation of first-hand contributions by women who helped settle the Kansas frontier, back mid-1800s to late 1800s. Part of the treasure, is that her great grandmother asked and received 800 plus firsthand accounts by Kansas pioneering women, by letters. She finished the projects that the great grandmother started. That in itself, is pretty amazing. Some of the details; about fires and grasshoppers are very informative and surprising. These were tough people, especially those who ventured out to the western part of Kansas. Five Stars. I hope this archive of 800 plus letters ends up in an archive center somewhere. True treasures!